Not What It May Seem
by lacandie
Summary: All Casey wants to do is write a novel. The problem is between school, work, and her boyfriend she hasn't found the time. Also she just doesn't know what to write. Little does Casey know that she will find her story and then some.
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter One**

"Hey, you want to watch a movie with me," Ryan asks. "I can't, I have a huge test tomorrow and haven't really been able to study for it," Casey answers. Casey is devoted to her school work; she is a senior English major at a college in Rhode Island. She lives with her boyfriend, Ryan, in an apartment complex in Lincoln, Rhode Island. "Okay, but if you get bored, come and join me." She sits there pondering if she should go watch the movie and then study. This is a bad idea because once she gets distracted her studying will never get done. Casey's first test this semester didn't go too well and she has to do well in this class or she won't be able to graduate on time. She is always asking herself what she wants to do with her life. The one thing she knows is she wants to write a novel. Ryan fully supports her as he knows what a remarkable writer Casey is. Casey writes for the school newspaper and she always has Ryan proofread her work. She knows she can count on him to be critical but state the positives as well.

Casey has never gotten around to writing her novel. For one thing, she simply does not have the time. She works at a coffee shop downtown; between that and her school work, she has hardly anytime to do what she wants. Most of her free time is either spent with her boyfriend or her friends. She figures once she graduates and gets a full time job, there will be more time to start on her goal.

The most important reason Casey hasn't started her novel is she simply has no clue what to write about. She has written some ideas down but none of them has impressed her. She is always looking for some inspiration to start her book. One of her favorite places to get ideas is at work. The amount of people and the stories they have told her have be staggering. One costumer told her his life story about how he fought in the Vietnam War and the hell him and the other troops had to deal with. This sparked something inside her but then she realized what business she has telling a story of the hardship these men dealt with. She told her friends at work about her dream of writing a novel but most of them laugh it off as some phase that will soon dissolve. Casey gets frustrated about this because she just wants support and all she gets from them are put downs. This is one of the reasons she loves her boyfriend so much. Ryan supports her in anything she wants to do, no matter what it is. He has a lot of faith in her, which gives her the confidence to keep pushing forward.

Unlike Casey, who is extremely creative, Ryan is more of a math and science person. He thinks critically and can come up with a solution to any problem. He wants to become an engineer. He loves taking formulas from a book and utilizing them in real world situations. Casey admires Ryan for his passion and drive. She feels bad because he is always helping her with her school work and writing and Casey wishes she could help him. Ryan always reminds her that he understands and to not put pressure on herself. He appreciates everything that she does for him. Though they have a great relationship, there have been a few bumps in the road. At one point, Ryan would go to parties none stop. He started to do poorly in school and put Casey second to his addiction. It came a point where Casey couldn't take it anymore and gave him a choice. She told him that he either quits partying or she is leaving. He didn't stop, thinking that Casey wouldn't leave. To Ryan's surprise, she kept her word and did leave. Once this happened he knew he had to change because he realized that he lost one of the best aspects of his life. It took a few months but once Casey realized that he had changed, she went back to him. Ryan will remember this later in the story when Casey has an obsession of her own.

The next morning Casey hears her alarm clock go off at the early hour of 6 AM. She groans as she shuts off the alarm. "Good Morning, honey," she says as she rolls over and gives Ryan a kiss. He says it back as he kisses her back, then he rolls over and goes back to bed. He doesn't have to get up for a few more hours. Casey drags herself out of bed and walks toward the bathroom. Then she enters the kitchen where she puts on a pot of coffee. Casey could not start her day without a few cups of coffee. She turns on the television to watch the news. Sometimes she could do without the news with it being depressing most of the time. After she has breakfast, her favorite, toast with peanut butter, she goes back to the bedroom to get changed and ready for school. It is almost 7:20 AM when she gets in her car to drive about 20 minutes to school. As usual, when she gets there it is impossible to find a parking spot. Before Casey knows it, she is parked all the way on the other side of campus. She mumbles under her breathe, "when is this place going to do something about the parking, it is so frustrating."

Casey finally gets to class where in a few minutes she will be taking the big midterm. She is nervous but has confidence that she will do alright. After about an hour and a half, Casey hands in her test and goes to the cafeteria. Once there, she sees one of her friends and says hi to her. They talk about how classes are going and what they will do once they graduate. Her friend wants to go travel particularly to Europe. Casey just talks about just being able to get a decent paying job. She doesn't tell this girl about her dream because she is afraid that it will just be another disappointment. After a good half an hour of talking Casey says that she has to go as she has another class to attend.

The class Casey goes to next is her favorite, Advanced Creative Writing. As an English major, she had to choose a concentration. Since Casey was always daydreaming and coming up with unique ideas, she figured that creative writing was right for her. She also likes the class because the professor has helped her a lot with her writing. The professor is always asking her, "So, when are you going to let me read your manuscript." Casey always tells her that if she still wants to read it in a few years that she would be more than happy to bring it over. For this class, everyone had to bring in information about their favorite writer. Casey couldn't wait to talk about hers because she had many interesting facts about him. After this class, she has to go to work. Casey is not looking forward to it as Wednesdays are one of their busiest days.

The coffee shop she works at is only about a five minute drive from school. The place is called Oakhill Coffee Shop and Bookstore. Most of the costumers are students who either attend her school or the others near by. Casey likes working there as most of her friends work with her. When it is not too busy, her and the other employees get a cup of coffee and talk about events happening in each other's lives. Today Casey's friend, Lisa, has great news that she finally found a new apartment. She tells them where it is located and how they should come over to check out the place. The apartment is located in downtown Providence, Rhode Island. Before Lisa could carry on, a huge rush of people come into the shop.

Little did Casey and her friends know that a book signing was scheduled for today. This author is fairly new, with only one other book written. Casey is very excited about this because usually after the signing is over, the author comes over to get a cup of coffee or something else. Over the year and a half Casey has been working at Oakhill, she has heard all sorts of advice from these authors. She always writes them down as soon as she gets home. This author gave her common but useful advice. He told her to never give up on what she wants to do. He told her how when he told his family and friends he wanted to write a novel, they basically laughed in his face. After he told her that he said, "They are not laughing at me anymore; in fact my family realized a great talent that I am lucky to have." Casey was amazed and had a sigh of relief as he told her this. He told her, "If nothing else keeps you motivated, think about the many times people have told you that you could never write a novel." Casey thanked him for the great advice and how he lifted her spirit. She couldn't wait leave work and tell Ryan about this great author who gave her some useful and uplifting advice. First, she had to get back to work as people started to get frustrated with the long wait.

As Casey drives home, she is practically driving as she is in NASCAR. One time she saw a state trooper and immediately slowed down. She was lucky that she didn't get pulled over. The minute she gets through the door she yells out for Ryan. "Ryan, you cannot believe what happened at work!" "What was one of the managers in one of their dictator moods?" Ryan says jokingly. "No, we had a book signing and I had a conversation with the author afterwards. He gave me such great advice. He told me to never give up on my dream no matter how many people tell you that will not be able to do it," Casey says excitingly. "I could have told you that Case, you're a great writer and I will never let you forget that." Casey runs over to Ryan and gives him a big hug. Casey tells Ryan that after she gets settled that she will make something for dinner and asks if he wants to watch a movie after. Ryan agrees and he goes to the living room to pick out a movie. Casey is making their favorite, Thanksgiving Day pie.

That night, Casey could not sleep. She kept thinking about what that guy said and it made her think why she really has been putting off her novel. As she lays there for an hour she finally comes up with a way to start her novel. She will seriously start finding something she can write about. Casey will do this by writing ideas down that pop into her head until she can piece them together into a story. Little does she know that her story will one day show up literally out of no where.

The next morning Casey starts her same old routine but this time Ryan gets up at the same time. She rolls over and gives Ryan a kiss, "Good Morning sleepy head". "Oh man, you can be so corny sometimes, but it is cute," Ryan says smiling. They both realize that neither of them has to get up for a little while. Ryan puts his arms around her and brings her over. Ryan starts to tickle her and their passion starts to escalate from there.

Once they are done, Casey looks over at the clock where she realizes how late it is. "It's almost 8:00 and I still need to take a shower! Casey says panicking. She jumps out of bed and runs to the bathroom. She looks back at Ryan who is smiling at her. She laughs and smiles back. Then she turns on the shower and steps in right away. "Ahh, this water is smoldering hot!" She immediately turns the knob to add more cold water. After, she jumps out of the shower, puts her clothes on and manages to get her hair and makeup done in only a few minutes. "Where are my shoes, I can't go anywhere with out my blue flats; they match perfectly with my outfit!" "I have no clue where your shoes are, honey," says Ryan. Before he could finish Casey started rummaging through her closet. She finds them in the far back with her older shoes. She quickly puts them on and dashes toward the kitchen. She quickly gets something to eat, tells Ryan that she loves him and gives him a kiss. Then she is off to fight the traffic on her way to school.

Casey gets to school late due to an accident on Route 95. She knows it is not a big deal but she always likes to get to class on time. It is one of her least favorite classes, one of those awesome general education classes that everyone has to take to graduate. Casey doesn't mind this class too much because it is Algebra which she is good at. She gets to class and goes immediately to the back; the professor doesn't even notice as the class has over 100 people. The class is two hours long which makes it tough for Casey and many of the students to concentrate. After about an hour Casey is on the verge of falling a sleep, which she actually does. When she wakes up there is no one in the lecture hall. Casey feels embarrassed as she walks out of the room. She realized that she needs a coffee to wake her up. She didn't have class until 12 so she gets in her car and drives down to the coffee shop she works at. Casey says hi to some of her friends and they talk for a little while. She orders her favorite pick me up, a caramel latte with a little bit of mocha. Sometimes she likes to experiment with the different flavors as one of the benefits of working there is free coffee. Casey loves that part of the job as she is addicted to coffee. After she is done, she drives back to school and goes to the library to read before class.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

As Casey reads a book for her next class, British Literature, she can hardly pay attention. As she reads she thinks about tonight, as it is Casey's and Ryan's two year anniversary. She thinks about how they first met. It was a blind date set up by their mutual friend. Casey was sort of hesitant as she had never been on a blind date and saw it as only for people who were desperate. She decided to give it a try and she has been more than thankful that she changed her mind. Their first date was awkward as for the first hour neither of them said a word. They went to a small café in downtown Providence which neither of them have ever been to. What was able to break the ice was Ryan spilled some water on his pants; when he stood up and they both looked, they busted out in laugher. Everyone was looking at them but they didn't care. After the café Ryan and Casey walked around the city and talked about pretty much anything. Ryan told her about what he was studying in school and she did the same. They both realized they attended the same school. When the night was over he asked her if she wanted to go out again sometime and she said yes. Casey and Ryan have been inseparable ever since. They know that they were meant for each other.

After dating for a little bit over a year, they decided to move in together. Both of them lived with their parents but both of them really wanted a place of their own. When Casey and Ryan were apartment hunting they were looking for something that was close to school and work but was also in a good neighborhood. It didn't take long to find the one in Lincoln. The apartment is a two bedroom that looks over the Blackstone River. It is a very historical place as the apartment complex used to be a mill. In the future, they dream about owning a house from the 1700s. It doesn't matter where it is located in Rhode Island as long as the house is from this era. They find it interesting to own a house that has seen so much of American history.

Casey arrives home around 5 pm where she sees a note that says "go into the bedroom". She walks in and sees one of her dresses lying on the bed. She sees another note on the dress that says "put this on and meet me downstairs". Casey gets dressed, does her hair and makeup and puts on her shoes. Then she walks downstairs where she sees Ryan in suit with a bouquet of flowers. She says "Thank you" and gives Ryan a kiss. Then he tells her that he has something special planned for tonight as they walk out the door and into Ryan's car. He tells her to close her eyes as he drives off. About 20 minutes later Ryan tells her to open her eyes where she sees the café where they had their first date. Casey is all excited as they walk through the door of the café. They sit down and order dinner. Ryan gets the steak as Casey gets the swordfish; Ryan isn't much into seafood. Once they are done with dinner, they get dessert and coffee. Casey and Ryan both get the cheesecake, their favorite. Once they are done and pay the bill, they leave. At this point Casey is a little disappointed.

They start to walk down the street where they go to the pier that they spent hours talking on their first date. Casey and Ryan sit down where they start talking about how their day went. As they were talking, Ryan stayed as calm as he could but after about 2 hours he couldn't wait any longer. As Casey was in mid sentence, Ryan stood up and put his arms out to help her get up. She noticed that he was shaking and before she could ask him what was wrong Ryan went down on one knee. At that point she realized what was happening and she started to get tears in her eyes. He pulls out a ring as he says, "I have never met anyone like you, I couldn't picture being with anyone else but you; will you marry me?" Casey immediately says "Yes!" She puts the ring on her finger as he stands up and then they both kiss each other. As they hug, she whispers in his ear, "You make me so happy; I couldn't picture being with anyone else either." They both smile and hold each other for awhile. Then they start walking to the car where they go back to the apartment.

Once back at the apartment, Casey couldn't keep from calling one of her closest friends from work, Sara, and tell her the good news. They both start screaming with excitement and Sara wants to talk to Ryan to congratulate him. "You made one of the best decisions in asking Casey to marry you, Congratulations!" Sara says with excitement. "Thank you, I was so nervous because I didn't know if she would say yes." Ryan explains. "Wouldn't say yes; you two were meant for each other." Sara said. Ryan thanks her again and gives the phone to Casey. Sara asks her how he proposed and Casey explains the whole night. Once their conversation ends Casey can't stop thinking about what an unforgettable night she just had as she stares at the ring on her left hand. They both get ready for bed but both of them couldn't fall asleep right away. There was too much excitement for sleep so they stayed up for a few hours and talking about the future. Tomorrow they will call their parents to tell them the good news.

During the night, Casey has an unusual dream; well, maybe it was more like a nightmare. Though she had such a great night before, it didn't keep her from getting a message. In this dream a little girl in a bonnet and dress came to her but didn't say a word. She just stood in front of her and pointed behind her as if she wanted to show Casey something. The little girl started to walk into a patch of woods that seemed to just come out of no where. All of a sudden Casey hears a loud scream from within the woods and she goes sprinting. Before she could find out what it was Casey wakes up breathing rather rapidly. She tries to wake up Ryan but all of a sudden he disappears. Before she knows it she is back in the woods and there is the little girl again. Casey asks her what that scream was about but the girl would not answer her. It was almost like something was keeping her from talking to Casey. Then Casey sees a dark shadow behind the little girl and before she can warn her, Casey wakes up. She finally is able to wake up Ryan and tell her all about her dream and how it was "so real". "It was just a dream, honey. Try to go back to sleep; we have a big day tomorrow," Ryan says. Casey tries to go back to sleep but she couldn't. The dream was too real and it felt like that little girl was trying to tell her something. She eventually was able to put it out of her mind and falls asleep.

The next morning Casey didn't say a word about the dream but Ryan could sense something was wrong. "Casey, what's wrong?" Ryan asked. "Nothing", Casey answers. Ryan didn't believe her but he figured Casey would tell him eventually. They both kiss each other goodbye as Ryan goes to school and Casey goes to the coffee shop. During work, Casey felt like she was on auto pilot as people asked her about the engagement. She kept getting questions like "Where did he propose?" and "What did it feel like?" She should have been excited about all the questions and about the engagement itself but all Casey could think about was the dream. As she was making someone's coffee Casey thought she saw someone who looked like the girl from her dream but when she looked again the little girl was gone. The impatient customer snapped her back into reality as he said "Can I get my coffee today, please?" "Yes, sorry about that sir," as she rang his order up. She couldn't wait for her shift to be over so she could go home and relax.

When she gets home the apartment is empty and she goes to the kitchen to get a drink of water. As she stands there she remembers that she didn't call her parents about her engagement. Casey gets onto the phone and calls; her mother picks up. "Hey mom, how are you?" Casey asked. "Oh Casey, it's so nice to hear from you, I'm great. How about you? Casey's mother says. "I'm good too, great actually. I wanted to tell you some big news. Ryan and I are engaged!" Casey says with as much enthusiasm she could muster up. "Oh my gosh, that's great honey; I'm so happy for you!" her mother says. "Thank you mom, I was pretty surprised myself; is dad there?" Casey says. "No, he went to the market but I will tell him the great news, Thank you for such great news and tell Ryan too. I have to get going, bye, I love you." Casey's mother says. "Ok mom, I will, I love you too, bye." Casey answers back. She was happy to get to talk to her mother but not before long the thoughts of that dream come back.

A few hours later Ryan arrives home and Casey runs over and gives him a big hug. "I'm so glad to see you" Casey says. "Are you okay Case?" Ryan asked. "No, I need to talk to you about that dream I had last night. That dream was nothing like any I have had in the past. I know this might sound crazy but I feel like someone was trying to show me something. I don't know what to do; I want to forget about it but I can't." Casey says tearing up. "Casey it was just dream, please try and forget about it. What we should be thinking about is our engagement and being happy. I love you so much and I need you." Ryan pleads. "I know honey; I will try to put this out of my mind. You deserve all I can give you and nothing will get into the way." Casey says. They both embrace each other and before they know it they are on the living room floor. There is so much passion between the two that they forget that they are meeting their friends in an hour for dinner. Ryan and Casey are going to tell them about their engagement. "That was great." Casey tells Ryan. "I know… Oh, we completely forgot, we need to get ready for dinner!" Ryan says anxiously. "That's right, let's get moving, sexy." Casey says teasingly. They get ready quickly and before they know it both are out the door and into the car.

Before Casey and Ryan knew it they were at their favorite restaurant, The Shadow Tree. This restaurant is a bar and grill where their most famous meal is a colossal burger that one can add whatever they can think up. The last time Ryan and Casey came here they both ordered one of these burgers to share because it is more than one person can handle. When they get there Casey sees Becky and her boyfriend, Jason, and she tries to get their attention. It took awhile but their friends finally saw them and came over. "Hey! How are you doing? It's been so long since we've been able to get out." Becky says. "I know, I'm so happy to see both of you." Casey says as she and Ryan give both of them a hug. After all of them walk into the restaurant and the hostess sits them down in a booth. "Are you two going to order one of those burgers again?" Becky asks. "I think we just might; you think we can handle it Ryan." Casey asks. "Oh, I think it's definitely a challenge. Are you guys up for it?" Ryan says. "Sure, why not. Do you recommend one we should try?" Becky asks. "This one looks good; it has cheese, bacon, onion rings, pickles, chips, and any topping you wish to put on. Lets get this one, Case." Ryan says. "Sure, why not." Casey says in return. "I think we will go for the same." Jason tells them. When the waitress comes up to the table they all order their two burgers. Casey and Becky order diet cokes and Ryan and Jason get the Dr. Peppers. When their burgers arrive, each couple bets that they can eat more than the other. They all start on their burgers; Ryan and Casey wind up being the ones that eat all of it. "Wow, you guys know how to eat a burger." Becky says surprised. "Thank you, but the reason we wanted to go out to eat was not to challenge you two in a burger eating contest, though it was fun." Ryan says. "Oh no, then what is it then?" Becky asks. "The reason we brought you here was to tell you two that we are engaged! It happened last night." Casey says. "Really, that's great, I'm so happy for the two of you. If anyone deserves to get married it is you guys." Becky says excitingly. "I'm happy for both of you too." Jason says. "Thank you; I really appreciate you saying that." Casey says. They talk all about how the night played out and how surprised Casey was when Ryan popped the question. Before they knew it was getting late; almost passed midnight. "We better get going." Casey says to all of them. They pay their bill and then walk out the door into the parking lot. "It was great to see you and Ryan. I am so happy and excited for you two." Becky says. "I know it was great to see both of you too; we have to do this again. The two couples say bye to each other and get into their cars.

"So, did you have fun tonight honey?" Ryan asks. "Yea, it was great to see them and I'm glad they were so happy for us. I can't believe we are getting married, I love you so much." Casey says holding his hand. "I know, I can't wait until that day." Ryan answers back. Before they know it they're back at the apartment. "I think it's time to go to bed, I am so tired." Casey says. Ryan opens the door and they walk into their apartment. Both get into their pajamas and brush their teeth. Then Casey and Ryan crawl into bed and are out like a light in a few seconds.

During the night Casey had another dream similar to the one she had the night before. This time she was in the middle of the woods and all of a sudden a house just appeared out of no where. Then the little girl appeared but this time she had one word to tell Casey, "Go". The girl kept saying that while pointing toward the house. Casey kept trying to get more out of her but she wouldn't give anymore. Before Casey knows it she wakes up screaming, waking up Ryan. "What is the matter Casey?" Ryan asks. "I had that dream again but the difference is this time the little girl showed me a house." Casey explains. "It's just another bad dream; try to go back to sleep." Ryan says giving her a kiss on the forehead. "Ok, I'll try but I really think she is trying to tell me something." Casey answers. She lay back down but it took her about an hour to get back to sleep. Casey was thinking about that dream and how she wants to find out what it is trying to tell her.

The next morning Casey slept later than she usually does on a Saturday morning; to almost ten. "Hey sleepy head, you slept quite late this morning." Ryan tells her. "I know I didn't really sleep well last night. I kept tossing and turning." Casey answers back. "Are you still thinking about that dream, Case, you really need to stop." Ryan says. "I know, but there is something about it that makes me want to know more about it. Ryan you have to believe me when I say that this one is so different from any dream I've had in my entire life. It's like someone is trying to show me something but I can't pin point what it is." Casey explains. "Ok, it just worries me to see you like this. I don't want anything to happen to you. I love you too much." Ryan says. Casey goes over and wraps her arms around him. "I appreciate your concern but I will make sure that it doesn't consume my life. I love you too and I don't know what I would do without you." Casey says. They stand in the kitchen by the counter holding each other for a while. "Hey, how about I make us both some pancakes and sausage." Casey suggests to Ryan. "Sure, do we still have any chocolate chips? You know how much I love chocolate chip pancakes." Ryan asks. "I think we do…yep, here they are. I will make sure to put some into the batch." Casey says. "That sounds great, Thank you." Ryan says and then gives Casey a kiss. While Casey gets all the ingredients she needs to make breakfast, Ryan goes into the living room and turns on the TV. He turns on the news but the same old stuff is on. About fifteen minutes later Casey brings in two plates, both with three pancakes and some sausage. "What do you want to drink?" Casey asks Ryan. "I'll have some orange juice and coffee." Ryan answers. Casey brings in both drinks for Ryan and then she goes back to get hers. Instead of the orange juice, she chose to have milk along with the coffee. She goes back into the living room and sits on the couch where her food is waiting. They eat their breakfast while watching the news. After they're done, Ryan and Casey get ready to go grocery shopping; which they do every Saturday.

"Do you have the list; I don't want last week to happen again." Casey says. "Yep, I have it right here. So we're going to get the steak for tomorrow? We haven't had that in a while. Ryan asks. "Yea, I can make that for tomorrow. We can have it with squash and potatoes." Casey suggests. "That sounds good, let's get there before the crowd does." Ryan says. When they get there the parking lot is almost empty. "Wow, look at all the parking spots; we can park practically outside the entrance." Casey says amazed. Ryan parks the car and they both walk into the store, where they start in the produce section. "We have enough peppers, right? Casey asks. "Yea, we should go over to the deli to get some lunch meat." Ryan answers. They walk over to the deli. "May I help you?" the man behind the counter asks. "Yes, can we have a pound of ham and a pound of American cheese?" Ryan says. "Sure." the man says. After, they make it around the store grabbing various food items they need for the week. About an hour later Casey and Ryan make it up to the cashier. "Look at these lines. When we got here there was no one here. Now look at all the people." Ryan says annoyed. "I guess we can just pick a line, it really doesn't matter." Casey says. They go into a line and after a few minutes they finally make it to the front. Once they pay for the bill, Casey and Ryan take the carriage to the car. They put all the groceries in the trunk and get into the car. When they get back to the apartment Ryan and Casey put all the groceries away. By the time they're done it is almost time for dinner.

"What do you want to do for dinner, Ryan?" Casey asks. "I don't know, do you want to get something out?" Ryan asks back. "Sure, I was in the mood for Chinese food." Casey says. "That sounds like a good idea. Let me get the menu." Ryan says. He goes to get the menu and brings it back. "Do you want to share a Pu Pu platter? Casey asks. "Sure that sounds good." Ryan answers back. "Ok, I'll go get the phone and call." Casey says. Casey calls the Chinese place and asks for them to deliver it. "They said it would take about thirty minutes to get here." Casey told Ryan. "Ok, want to watch TV?" Ryan asks. "Sure, want to see what's on for a movie?" Casey asks. "Ok." Ryan says. They look and find an action movie that they've seen before and enjoyed. While they are watching it, they have completely lost track of time and all of a sudden the door bell rings. "Coming!" Ryan yells. He gets to the door and pays the delivery man then takes the food. "Thank you" he says to the man. "You're welcome, have a good night." the man says back. Ryan then closes the door and walks back to the living room. "Here's the food, honey." Ryan tells Casey. "Oh good, I'm starving." Casey says back. Ryan opens everything up while Casey goes to get them something to drink. When she came back Ryan was all ready eating. "Wow, someone else must have been hungry too." Casey laughs. "Sorry Case, I couldn't wait, it looked so good." Ryan explains. "It's ok, I understand." Casey says giving Ryan a kiss. She sits down and takes some of the food herself. Casey's favorite is the egg roll and the Crab Rangoon. After about a half hour they were done with the food and felt stuffed. "That was good but now I feel like I'm going to be sick." Casey says. "I know what you mean." Ryan groans. They pick up everything and clean the table. Once that is done Casey and Ryan lay back on the couch to finish the movie. They start to watch the rest of the movie and about twenty minutes later they fall a sleep.

When Casey wakes up it is almost ten o' clock. "Ryan wake up, we have must fallen asleep, its' already ten." Casey tells Ryan. "Wow, we've must have been tired, it was probably all that Chinese food we ate.' Ryan says. "Want to go to bed? We have a busy day tomorrow." Casey asks Ryan. "Sure, let's go get ready." Ryan answers back. They both go to brush their teeth and get into their pajamas. After Casey and Ryan are done, they both get into bed. "Goodnight honey, I love you." Ryan says to Casey. "Goodnight, I love you too." Casey says as she gives Ryan a kiss. Casey shuts off the light and they both go to sleep. During the night Casey has another dream. In this one, the little girl shows her a backyard that leads into the woods. Casey thinks to herself that this place looks familiar but she can't pin point where it is. The little girl tells her "the answer is closer than you realize." She says this many times until Casey finally wakes up. This time she doesn't wake up Ryan to tell him about the dream. She doesn't want to bother him and she knows that he doesn't take the dreams as serious as Casey does. Instead she lies down and goes back to sleep.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

Casey wakes up before Ryan does and she quietly gets out of bed to go down stairs. One of the reason why she didn't want to wake him was Casey wanted time to herself to think about the past few nights. She knows someone is trying to tell her something but she doesn't know where to start. Once downstairs she goes to the coffee pot to make some coffee. When it is done, Casey pours herself a cup and sits at the table. She wanted quiet so she can try and figure these dreams out. While she is thinking Casey is looking out the window in the apartment complex's backyard. Thinking to herself while looking out the window, "that looks very familiar." Casey realizes that the backyard is the same thing that the little girl showed her in the dream. Before she knows it Casey feels a chill run down her spine. "I knew she was trying to tell me something but I still need more information about what she wants me to see out there." Casey says to herself. "Hey, you are up early." Ryan says as he puts his arms around Casey. Casey jumps. "What's wrong honey?" Ryan asks. "Sorry, I was just deep in thought. Good morning." Casey says giving Ryan a hug. "What were you thinking about?" Ryan asks. Casey didn't want to tell him because she knows that Ryan doesn't take her dreams seriously but she doesn't want to lie to him. "I was thinking about the dreams I've been having. I had another one last night." Casey explains to him. "Really, you're still having them. Ryan answers back. "Yea, the one last night had our backyard in it which the little girl kept pointing at. "That explains it then, it must have been something you saw before going to bed and you had a dream about it." Ryan says. "Maybe, I don't know. These dreams seem like so much more than what I'm used to having." Casey says. "Well, anyways, what do you want to do today?" Ryan asks changing the subject. Casey doesn't feel like arguing so early in the morning so she just goes with it. "I don't know. You want to go out for breakfast?" Casey asks. "Yea, want to go to that place down the street? They have amazing buttermilk pancakes." Ryan responds. "Ok let's get ready and then we can go." Casey says. They go back upstairs to get dressed. Once they are done Casey goes to get the keys and then they lock up the apartment. Then Casey and Ryan get in their car and start to drive away.

Once they get to the place called the Rockin' Diner, Casey locks up the car and they walk inside. "Hi, welcome to the Rockin's Diner. Will it be two for breakfast?" The hostess asks. "Yes." Casey answers. Ok, will you come with me please?" The hostess tells them. They follow to the back of the diner where she gives them a booth. "Katie will be right with you, enjoy your meal." The hostess tells them. "Thank you." Casey and Ryan say back. "I'm definitely going to get the buttermilk pancakes and the sausage. What are you going to get Case?" Ryan asks. "I don't know, I think I'm going to get the eggs, sausage and home fries." Casey says. "Hi, my name is Katie and I will be your server today. Can I get you something to drink?" Katie asks. "Actually we are ready to order." Ryan tells her. They tell Katie what they want and she leaves to go put in the orders. "I'm so excited for the pancakes." Ryan tells Casey. "Yea, I'm looking forward to mine too." Casey says back. "Hey do you want to go see a movie later? I really want to see that movie I was telling you about yesterday." Ryan asks her. "Sure we can go see that one. It looks like a really good movie." Casey says. About fifteen minutes later Katie comes back with their food. "Enjoy." Katie says as she leaves. "Thank you." Casey says back. "Wow, they never let you go hungry with these pancakes." Ryan says excitingly. "They do look good but I don't think I could finish those." Casey tells Ryan. "Yours' looks good too." Ryan says. "So where do you want to have the wedding?" Casey asks Ryan. "Well, I was thinking we could have it at the church in town." Ryan answers. "Yea, that sounds like a plan. I wanted to get married in a church but I just didn't know which one." Casey says. "I can't wait till that day. It's going to be one of the best days of my life." Ryan tells Casey as he takes her hand. Casey smiles back, "I know, I can't wait either." About a half hour later they finish their breakfast. When the waitress comes back they tell her everything is all set. Once Katie takes the bill, Casey and Ryan stand up and leave the restaurant.

"Oh, I just remembered that I have a draft of a paper that is due tomorrow!" Casey says panicking. "You have plenty of time to work on it before we go to the movies." Ryan says reassuringly. "Ok, I can't have any distractions because I have about three pages I have to write." Casey tells Ryan. Casey has to write a draft paper for her creative writing class that she totally forgot about. It has to be about something that is important to her but has to be made into something fictional. Casey decides to make it about her dream wedding. She knows that they don't have a lot of money and the wedding will be modest but why not go overboard for a paper. She decides to have the wedding on the beach in Hawaii with all her family and friends. Casey's dress is by a famous designer and they have a limo drive them everywhere. After the wedding, the reception would be in a hall next to the beach. There would be an open bar and the guests would have only the best meals. They would have a choice from lobster to sirloin steak. Casey gets so caught up in her paper that she doesn't realize that she goes past the three page limit. She finishes the paper and has to take some information out to get it down to three pages. When she is done there is plenty of time before Ryan and her go to the movies. She goes to find Ryan and where she sees him in the living room playing with his video games. "Hey honey, I'm done with my paper. I didn't take me long at all." Casey says. "I knew it wouldn't, you are a great writer and some day I hope you realize what a great talent you have." Ryan complements her. "Thank you. Hearing that from you makes me feel better." Casey says giving Ryan a kiss. "Hey, since I'm done, can I join you?" Casey asks. "Sure, this one is a two player game but if you want you can pick out one." Ryan says. "Ok, how about this one. It is my favorite." Casey says. "Sure, put it in." Ryan tells her.

Hours go by as Casey and Ryan play a fantasy game on their video game system. Casey looks quickly at the clock and realizes what time it is. "Ryan! We have to get going the movie will be starting in 20 minutes." Casey tells Ryan. They turn off the video games and quickly get everything cleaned. Ryan grabs the keys and they both ran to the car. "Did you remember to lock the door?" Casey asks. "Damn!" Ryan says as he leaves the car to sprint up the stairs to lock the door. A minute later they are on the road to the movie theatre. The movie Casey and Ryan are going to see is a comedy they've wanted to see for a while. When they get there the parking lot is packed. "Look! There's a parking spot right there! Go! Go! Go!" Casey says excitingly. "Ok! Ok! I'm going!" Ryan answers back. All that rushing around for nothing; when they get their tickets and go into the movie theatre the previews are still playing. "See Casey we were so worried about missing some of the movie that we're actually early." Ryan tells Casey. "I know, I'm sorry I got so excited I just didn't want to be late." Casey answers back. They find a seat by the wall and talk for a little until the lights dim and the movie starts. After almost two hours the movie was over and everyone got up to leave the theatre. "That movie was pretty good." Ryan says. "I know! I like the part where he falls and has trouble getting up". Casey says in return. They get out to the car and get in for the ride home.

When Casey and Ryan get home it is almost 9:30 pm. "Wow, it's amazing how fast the weekend goes by." Ryan says. "I know and Mondays are such a busy day between work and school. What do you have to get done for your Calculus class tomorrow?" Casey asks Ryan. "Nothing for once; we are starting a new chapter tomorrow so there will probably be plenty of homework for that." Ryan says. "Well if that's the case maybe we should go to bed so we aren't zombies tomorrow." Casey says jokingly. "Ok, let's go upstairs and get ready for bed." Ryan says. Thirty minutes later they are both in bed and fast asleep. Casey has another dream but this time it doesn't have the little girl in it. All it has is their backyard but there is a faint light coming from the woods. Casey can hear some soft noise also coming from the woods. In the dream Casey tries to walk out the apartment and into the woods but before she does all of a sudden something wakes her up. When Casey wakes up she gets out of bed quietly as to not wake up Ryan. She goes into the kitchen and looks out the window into the forest. What she sees also most makes her heart stop. "Oh my gosh, there is the light from the dream!" Casey thinks to herself. Before she knows it instead of freaking out Casey finds herself walking out of the back door towards the woods in their backyard. When she gets outside Casey gets a chill throughout her body. "Come towards the light" Casey hears softly. As she walks closer to the trees Casey can almost feel a force pulling her into the forest.

Once she gets in it's almost like Casey has no control of her body. A few times she wanted to turn back and go back to bed but something or someone was keeping her from doing it. Casey can feel her heart racing and she is sweating. "What could this possibly be? Casey thinks to herself. Before she could try to figure out anything else, she finds herself in front of this huge colonial house that appeared from no where. "I knew those dreams were trying to show me something." Casey says. Suddenly the door opens and the little girl from the dreams walks out of the house. She waves her hand towards herself trying to tell Casey to follow her. "Why, what do you want from me?" Casey snaps. The little girl says nothing and keeps moving her hands.

Casey hesitantly walks towards the house and follows the little girl inside. Before she knows it the lights start to flicker and more people show up around the house. "Who are they? Hello, can someone explain what is happening?" Casey yells to the people around her. "They can't hear you." The little girl says. Before Casey can say anymore she realizes the little girl is talking. "Wait a minute, you can actually talk?" Casey asks her. "Yea, the more you come into this time." The little girl explains. "What do you mean by "this time", Casey asks fearfully. "I mean when we are in my time frame. By the way my name is Abigail, Abby for short." Abby answers. "I still don't get what you are trying to tell me." Casey says. "I'm trying to say that we are in the year 1730." Abby says. "Oh yea, and I'm the president of the United States." Casey says sarcastically. "If you don't believe me look outside. You will not see the forest that's for sure." Abby explains. Casey goes to the window though she doesn't believe it. "This is crazy. You are expecting me to believe we time tra…." And before Casey could finish her thought she saw something that took her breath away. Outside there was a huge farm with all sorts of animals and produce. There were hardly any trees. It was mostly plowed land and a long rock wall that surrounded the entire property. She turned to Abby with a surprised face that said it all. "I told you. I've been trying to talk to you because I, well I mean my whole family needs your help." Abby says. "That's why you've been coming into my dreams?" Casey asks. "Yes, it's a long story so you will have to sit down for a while" Abby answers. "Awhile! I have to get back. Ryan must be worried sick about me" Casey says panicking. Casey runs out of the house and when she does everything goes back to the way it was. "I must be dreaming, I must! Please wake up I feel like I'm going crazy." After about ten minutes of standing in the woods in the pitch dark Casey realizes she is not dreaming. "Oh my gosh, what am I suppose to do I can't tell anyone about this. People will think I'm going crazy." Casey says to herself. As she is walking back to the apartment complex Casey tries to talk herself out of what she just saw. "I must have been sleep walking. Maybe it was actually a dream." Casey says in denial.

She walks into the apartment in a daze and goes up to their bedroom. Ryan is still sleeping so Casey gets back into bed quietly. When she lays down it takes Casey took along time to fall asleep due to almost being in shock as to what just took place. Eventually she fell asleep but something different happened during the night… nothing. She didn't have any dreams of Abby, the house, or anything she had seen. When she woke up the next day Casey believed what she had saw was just a dream. "Wow, you look exhausted." Ryan commented. "I know; I feel tired. I think it was due to the dream last night" Casey says. This time I actually went into the house which made me go back in time into the 1700s. Doesn't that sound a little crazy?" Casey asks. "It sounds weird but always remember it is just a dream and to not worry about it." Ryan says as he gives Casey a kiss. It is early as Casey has to get to work for 8:00 am. "I really don't feel like going to work today. I just wish I can crawl back into bed and go to sleep." Casey says to Ryan. "Just try to get through the day and remember that you don't have to get up so early tomorrow." Ryan reassures her.

Casey arrives to work right in the middle of rush hour as the line of costumers is practically out the door. "Hey Casey, hurry up and get ready; we really need all the help we could get." Lisa yells over to her. "Alright I will be over there as soon as possible." Casey says back reluctantly. She goes to the back room to put her school bag and coat away before she has to go out and tackle the customers. No sooner does Casey get out there does she have several customers trying to tell her their orders at the same time. "I will have a pumpkin latte" One customer says. "I'll have an iced coffee, three chocolate donuts, one bagel…." "Please one person at a time; I'll be right with you in just a minute." Casey says already stressing. Around 10 o'clock the place starts to slow down and the employees can take a breather.

"Wow, I don't think we've ever had so many customers at one time." Lisa says. "I know; you would think that we were giving coffee away." Casey replies back. "So, how is the wedding plans coming along." Sara asks Casey. "Wedding plans? Oh yea, that's right. I've been so busy with school and work I forgot for a second that I am getting married." Casey explains. "How could you forget? Ryan is so good to you. Aren't you exciting to get married to him? Lisa asks. "Of course! Casey snaps back. "Sorry I even said anything. We were just wondering. "Lisa said back. "I'm sorry. I have just had so much on my mind that planning a wedding has not been my top priority right now." Casey says. "What have you been thinking about that has gotten you so distracted?" Sara asks. "Oh, mostly school; I have a lot due in the next month and I have been trying to get everything done." Casey answers back. Before they could say another word a big rush of customers stormed in. Customers left and right were shouting out orders. "Please we will get your orders as long as everyone forms a straight line and come up one at a time." Casey shouts. "Wow, this is ridiculous. What has gotten into everyone today?" Lisa asks. For the next few hours it is none stop. By the time 4 o' clock came around Casey and her friends were exhausted. "I don't think I've ever worked so hard in my life." Sara said yawning. "I know, we need more help in here because we have been getting a lot more customers then we are used to." Casey replies back. "Well it's time for me to go. I will see you all tomorrow. Have a great night." Casey tells the girls. "Thank you, you too; and remember Casey think about that wedding. It will come sooner than you think." Sara says. "I will bye."

As Casey was driving home she felt nothing but guilt. How could she not even put a thought in to Ryan's and her's wedding. All she could think about was Abby and the old house. "I have to stop thinking about it." Casey tells herself. "There is so much going on that needs my undivided attention. I still have that big English paper to do by the end of the semester and I haven't even started on it." Casey panics. By the time she finishes thinking about it Casey is home.

When she unlocks the door and goes inside the apartment it is silent. Ryan won't be home for another couple of hours as he is at school. Casey goes into the kitchen to put her bags down and then makes a pot of coffee. "After the day I had I need a nice cup of coffee." She usually gets her coffee at work but she had so much on her mind that Casey forgot to get herself one. After, she goes into the bathroom to get the clothes to put in the wash. "Wow, when was the last time we did laundry. The clothes are overflowing." Casey says to herself. She takes the clothes downstairs to the laundry room; on the first floor. "I'll have to do two loads of laundry." Before Casey goes down she makes sure she has enough coins for the washer and dryer as it costs $1.50 each.

The laundry room is also empty which is always good as there is no need to wait. She goes and puts in the first load of wash. Casey brought down some of her homework too because it is going to take a couple of hours before all the laundry is done. Once the machine is on Casey goes and sits at one of the tables where she can wait and do her homework. "I have to think of a topic for this paper because there is only a month and a week left of school." For the next half hour she does nothing but sits there and thinks of a topic. Before she knows it the washer goes off. "It's time to put the clothes in the dryer and put the other load in." Casey explains to herself. While she is switching over the laundry she hears something that sounds like laughter. "Hello, is anyone there?" Casey calls out to the empty laundry room. Again all she hears is more laughter. Now she starts to get nervous and her heart races.

Casey tries to calm herself down and goes back to thinking about a topic for her paper. Before she could do that all of a sudden Abby appears in the chair across from her. Casey screams for a second until she realizes who it is and then goes completely silent. "What do you want?" Casey asks coldly. "We want you to come back. We haven't seen you in a while." Abby replies back. "I'm trying to keep it that way." Casey says back. "I'm done thinking about what I saw that day and of you. It has caused me a lot of unnecessary stress and aggravation. I have much more important things to think about then this. If you could do me a favor and never come to see me again! Casey yells at Abby. Before she knows it Abby is gone. "Good." Casey thinks to herself. She goes back to doing laundry and her homework. About an hour later the laundry is done but she hasn't thought about a topic for her paper.

When Casey gets back into the apartment Ryan is in the living room watching TV. "Hey honey, how was your day?" Casey asks Ryan. "Good, the professor let us out of class early which is why I'm home now." Ryan says. "That's great. I can make dinner now if you want." Casey asks. "Sure, what do you want to eat?" "Let's see, do you want chicken and rice with a vegetable?" Casey asks. "That sounds good." Ryan replies back. Casey goes into the kitchen to get everything out. The chicken is still frozen so she pops it in the microwave. Once it is out of microwave Casey puts some Italian bread crumbs on the chicken. She then puts it on a baking pan and places it in the oven at 350 degrees for twenty minutes. When the chicken is baking she gets a bag of instant rice and places it in boiling water. Casey goes back into the living room to ask Ryan what kind of vegetable he wants. "How about some green beans?" Ryan replies. "Ok, I'll put those in the microwave when the chicken is almost done." Casey tells Ryan.

About twenty minutes later they are both sitting at the table eating dinner. "Oh yea, I forgot to ask you how your day at work was?" Ryan says. Casey was thinking to herself that she actually forgot about work too. As much as she doesn't want to Casey is still thinking about Abby and what she wants. "Work was the busiest I've ever experienced it. The customers kept coming in and they were acting very rude. Instead of waiting their turn like most normal people do. They were all yelling out their orders. After a while I had to tell them to wait their turn and we will get their order." Casey explained. "We did get a break for about a half an hour until another crowd came storming in. The weird thing about it was they were just as rude and impatient as the other group of customers." "Wow, it sounds like you had a rough day." Ryan says sympathetically. "Yea, it definitely wasn't one of my best days." Casey answered back. "Well, at least you aren't having those bad dreams anymore." Ryan says. "Yea, that's true." Casey replies knowing it's not.

As Casey was washing the dishes she was thinking, "I can't believe I lied to Ryan. What is wrong with me, I'm going to be marrying him and should be able to tell him anything." As she was deep in thought Ryan came up behind her and asked "Hey, do you need any help?" Casey jumped and dropped the glass she was washing on the floor. "Don't sneak up on me! Look what you made me do!" She says as she points to the floor. Ryan looks at her surprisingly, "What is wrong with you? You have been so on edge lately. As Casey was cleaning the glass off the floor she said "I'm sorry to snap at you, I was just off in another world when you can in." After she was done cleaning the floor she went over to Ryan and gave him a hug. "Thank you for offering but I just finished." Casey replied back. "Do you want to talk to me about something? You just seem to have been acting differently lately. Ryan says concerned. "Really, it's nothing. I just have a lot going on between work and school." Casey returns. "You said that before but it seems like there is just more on your mind. Are you still thinking about the dream you had with the little girl? Ryan asks. "No! Why do you have to get on my case about that! You do think I am crazy don't you, DON'T YOU! Casey yells. Ryan steps back and walks out the room before things get worse. Casey sits at the kitchen table to try and calm down. "What is wrong with me? This is not who I am. Why do I get so mad? She sat at the table for a good hour before Ryan walked into the room again. "Is it ok for me to come in and sit with you?" Ryan asks cautiously. "Yes, please come in, I am so sorry again. I don't know what has gotten into me. You don't deserve that." Casey tells Ryan as tears start to appear in her eyes. "It's okay." Ryan says taking her hands. "I just want you to talk to me. I am going to be your husband soon and I want you to know that you can tell me anything." Casey leaned over and kissed Ryan. "I know, you always understand and I always appreciate you being there for me." Ryan smiled and said "Hey, let's just forget about it and watch TV." They both got up from the table and walked into the living room.

Casey and Ryan went to sit on the couch and Casey reached for the remote. "What do you want to watch?" Casey asked Ryan. "I don't know, let's see what is on." Casey starts flipping through the channels and she stops on a new movie that just came out. "Do you want to watch this?" Casey asks. "Sure, I guess." He replies back. As they were watching the movie they both fell asleep. Ryan woke up first and he looked at the clock. It said that it was two o' clock in the morning. "Casey, wake up. We really need to go to bed." Ryan says nudging her. As they walk upstairs Casey sees a light coming from the woods. "Hey Ryan do you see that outside?" Casey asks. "What light are you talking about? I think you are just tired and need some sleep." Ryan answers. "No, look outside at the woods." She points out the window. "I don't see anything Casey, let's go to bed." They both got dressed into their pajamas and climbed into bed. "Good night, we can take a shower in the morning" Ryan says as he reaches over to give her a kiss. "Good night" Casey says in return.


End file.
